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Melvin Edmonds, Founding Member Of R&B Group After 7, Dead At 65

Melvin Edmonds, Founding Member Of R&B Group After 7, Dead At 65

Keith Mitchell, Melvin Edmonds and Kevon Edmonds of After 7. Photo: Ron Galetta, Ltd/Wireimage/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_z5z7De1wc

Melvin Edmonds, a member of Indiana’s most prominent musical family since the Jackson 5, died Saturday at age 65 after a brief illness.

Edmonds was a founding member of Grammy-nominated Indianapolis R&B group After 7, known for soul music and dance tune hits in the early 1990s.

The second of six sons, Melvin was the older brother of Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, an 11-time Grammy Award-winning singer and producer.

Melvin formed After 7 in 1988 with brother Kevon Edmonds and friend Keith Mitchell after they met on the Bloomington campus of Indiana University, where they were members of the IU Soul Revue, The Grio reported.

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Their hits in the early 1990s included “Can’t Stop,” “Ready or Not” and “Heat of the Moment.”

Melvin left After 7 following the release of the group’s third album, “Reflections,” in 1995. The group had been signed to Virgin Records, but the relationship went sour, USA Today reported. His son, Jason, joined Kevon and Mitchell in After 7 in 1999.

Melvin worked as a truck driver and suffered a stroke in 2011, before returning to the group. They released a 2016 comeback album, “Timeless,” which had three Top 10 hit songs: “Runnin’ Out,” “I Want You” and “Let Me Know.”

Melvin is survived by four children: Melvin, Jason, Chris and Courtney.

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